Page 15 of The Nightmare Queen

“Yes.” I groan.

“Are you avoiding Ezra again?”

I bury my face into the pillow. “I’m avoiding this question. Now go to sleep.” He chuckles quietly, flipping over into a more comfortable position that shakes the small bed. “Injured.” I whine.

“Self-inflicted doesn’t count.” He quips.Asshole, I think to myself.

My body sinks into his bed and his hand reaches across the mattress his fingers lacing with mine. The warmth he gives off lulls me into a deep sleep, this time the dream doesn’t come back. In fact all of the thoughts inside of my head go quiet.

I don’t wake up again until we hear -BANG! BANG! BANG! -on the door.I squeeze my eyes shut, pretending to still be asleep while Axel drags himself up out of bed to go see who is at the door.“You’re not fooling anyone Eveera, wake up.”Felix.My hands pull the covers back, and I sit myself up and face him. “Any reason there is an odd splatter pattern in your Room?”

He knows, he always knows. Even if I’ve never admitted it.

I grab the extra pair of shoes stored here I have from within Axel’s wardrobe.“All the splatter patterns seemed normal to me. Is there a reason you were in there?” Next I reach for my extra pair of pants, slipping them over my curves and cinching them at my waist.

“Just curious is all.” He hums. “You have a meeting, remember? You might want to…” He waves his hands in gesture around me, “get dressed.”

Ezra is already waiting for me, sword in hand. “Ez, eager to lose?” I throw him a wink while pulling my sword out of it’s holster.

His shoulders shake, laughing, “how many times have I won sparring with you, hmm?” He walks in a wide circle around me.

The hilt of the blade spins in my hand. “As many times as I have let you.” A frown forms on his face and he lunges for me, his bulky armor slows him down with its weight. I swing my sword down towards his legs, pushing his advance back. We go a few rounds, swords clanking against one another. “Oh come on, you can do better than this!” I taunt, which only eggs him on to move faster, duck lower, and block harder.

He’s here,the voice in my mind warns. The air shifts around me, disrupting my momentum. I don’t know how I know it’s him - but I do. Ezra charges at me out of the corner of my eye, trying to use the distraction as a way to one me up. Without sparing him a look, I swing at him, clashing against his blow and shoving hard. He loses his footing and stumbles to the ground.Well that was lucky,I think. My knee falls onto his chest plate, the new position allowing me to press my sword againsthis throat. “You’re dead.” Even through the metal of his armor I can feel him tense underneath me.

“Your”Grunt. “left side is open.” His nose brushes mine while he leans up as best as he can.

I relent, climbing off of him and taking hold of his hand. “What would that matter? My sword would have sliced clean through your throat.” I argue, the two of us still not acknowledging our guests.

He shucks off his armor and moves to the wall of weapons, selecting a few. “Well it matters, your Highness, because it gave me a few seconds when you were pinning me to stab a dagger right through your left ribs.” He takes his fingers, grazing my side. I don’t miss the fact his eyes drift up to look at the two men behind me, before he looks back down. “When leaning on top of someone you have to angle your body properly.” I subtly push his fingers away, not allowing the touch to turn into something more possessive.

“I think you know well that I have no issues angling my body properly.”

He rolls his eyes at me. “I meant when delivering the killing blow, Eveera.”

I laugh and turn around. “You.” I point at the prince.

“Your Highness.” He and his companion both say in unison, Mousy tries to look everywhere but straight at me. The prince however, looks me up and down lazily, a smirk on his lips when his eyes finally make their way to mine.

“I need a volunteer.”

“A volunteer?” His deep voice rattles something loose in my chest. I slip one of the throwing stars I’ve grown to favor and spin it between my thumb and fore-finger. “Well you aren’t just going to stand on the edge all day, are you? You came here to talk, I came here to train. So, Ineed a volunteer.” My empty hand beckons one of them towards me. The moment Mousy steps over the edge I pitch my arm back, launching the throwing star in their direction.

To my shock the prince stops the momentum, catching the star before it could find purchase. Before I have time to process, the sound of it whizzing by me and embedding in the wall, fills my ears. My gaze switches from the star and back to him. “It’s not nice to throw things.” He says, dusting off his hands.

I disagree.

“You can borrow from the selection on the table or wall.” I note.

He clears his throat. “A-hem, I think I’ll just use my own.”

“Ha.” I glance at him from the corner of my eye. “Scared I tainted the metal? Imbued it with something?” I back up onto the mat, sliding a dagger in tight against my chest. “Ezra, you’re with Mousy here. And you…princeling, you’ll be my volunteer.”

Ezra appraises his opponent, waiting impatiently for Mousy to be ready. He’ll launch himself at his new opponent as soon as he’s given the command, and he’ll fight dirty.

“Engage.” I say.

Rorin and I both watch as Ezra pivots, swinging his sword hard. The move leaves his opponent with little time to recover or block his blow. “That was an unorthodox way to start a sparring match. Your boyfriend over there didn’t even look ready.”

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